It's no secret that the webhosting industry has an incredibly high
percentage of dissatisfied customers.
Having been a webmaster
for 10 years, and the owner of a webhosting company for 8 years,
I've come to realize that the problem can usually be traced to one
thing - communication.
There seems to be a real gap between
web hosting customers and their providers, which inhibits free
communication.
One of the reasons we encounter this is that
most webhosting companies are owned and operated by computer geeks.
As a general rule, geeks relate much better to computers than they
do to people. As a result, we have an industry full of providers who
are fairly adept at technology, but woefully lacking in people
skills. Let's face it - if someone spends 16 hours a day interacting
with computer and networking components, they will probably have no
understanding of the little niceties which grease the skids of human
interaction. Another problem is false expectations raised by
the web hosts own marketing material.
Most webhosting
providers have a site which portrays them as being a large corporate
entity, when, in reality, most hosting companies are run by sole
proprietors. The website might have a picture of high tech glass and
beam office building, but the reality is often an overworked fella
sitting at home in his pajamas. When the customer starts to
encounter the limitations of this arrangement, frustration and
resentment set in, souring the relationship.
Ironically, this
same same client might be absolutely thrilled with this same web
host, despite the limitations, if they had only known about the
limitations going into the arrangement.
Finally,
communications can be strained to the breaking point by a web host
that views customers as an annoying part of the job, rather than
seeing them as real people with real needs who are interested in an
ongoing business relationship.
Happily, this problem may be
avoided entirely, if the hosting client uses some wisdom and
discrimination while shopping for a provider.
The good news
is that there are some wonderful webhosting companies out there.
It's just a matter of finding one which fits your needs.
When
shopping for a web host, try to speak directly to the owner of the
company. Failing that, speak with the customer support people on
several occasions before purchasing. Are they friendly? Do they use
common courtesy and politeness while speaking to you? Are they
honest and open in their marketing approach? Do they address you by
name while speaking to you? Do they return your phone calls and
emails?
With a little leg work, you should be able to
seperate the wheat from the chaffe, and find an excellent hosting
company.
